True Fidelity PS500MM headset makes games quiet, clear

Able Planet's PS500MM True Fidelity headphones help you to keep it quiet. The …

Even though this is my job, I have to fit in my gaming sessions around the family. That means I'm often killing zombies at the same time I'm helping the kids with homework, or jumping directly onto a ventrillo server the second they're off to bed. Able Planet sent over their True Fidelity headphones with a promise: these will keep the clarity of the audio in games, even at very low levels.

First impressions are important, and the product impresses. You get the headphones, a cloth bag to keep them in, and an adapter to allow you to hook the headphone and microphone into a USB connection instead of the standard two cables. Even better? The package is simple to open. This is the complete package, in other words.

The headphones themselves feel good on the head, although they do put some slight pressure on the upper areas of your ears. The microphone comes from the left-hand side, which isn't a problem, but there is no way to detach it or fold it away, which is something of a pain. You can bend it away from your mouth, but that's it. On the wire there is a mute switch and volume control.

So how does it sound? Interesting. The sound has less bass than similarly priced headsets, and has a slight hiss on the upper end. This is, apparently, the Linx technology in action. What's impressive is that with barely any volume things remained clear and distinct. I could hear dialog and small details—it was pretty neat. The technology is said to "increase perceived loudness," which sounds somewhat nonsensical, but in action I did feel like I was able to hear more detail at lower volume than with other headsets.

Using the microphone was a joy, and the sound quality on Skype and Ventrillo is likewise good. For $100, this is an expensive piece of equipment, and in pure audio quality it won't stack up to its competitors. If you're interested at listening to games at low levels, have slight hearing loss, or want to prevent hearing loss, though; they work as advertised.

I feel old: the first thirty years of your life you're trying to get things louder, and then suddenly you value quiet.